Support flows for autistic boy

The parents of a severely autistic boy have welcomed "amazing" messages of support following their struggle to provide extra care for their son.

But Daniel and Claudia Lindsay, who spent thousands providing extra speech and behavioural therapy for their five-year-old son Chase, said that there was still not enough awareness about autism and the lack of help available.

Mr and Mrs Lindsay, members of South Hampstead Synagogue, said that Treehouse, a school for autistic children in Haringey, was the only place that would continue the intense private therapies they had started.

But Barnet Council said Chase should go to Oakleigh School, for children with learning difficulties, in Whetstone. The Lindsays appealed but lost, and Chase starts at Oakleigh next week.

But this week readers contacted the family to offer support and sympathy. Among them was a parent of an autistic teenager who had previously battled Barnet Council and won, and a speech and language therapist who wanted to offer her services free. Therapist Jamie Schneider, from Totteridge, said: "I love my job and I want to help them out."

Mrs Lindsay said: "To have someone show an interest and be willing to help is amazing. I'm following up all the calls and have set up meetings.

"We want people to understand the daily struggle and that we are one of hundreds who have to deal with this. Chase hits and bites me every day, sometimes drawing blood.

"There is very little help to deal with his behavioural issues. I was given just six sessions with the Barnet behavioural specialist a year ago and that was it."